Washing machines



July 5, 1955 F. LLOYD-KESSEL WASHING MACHINES 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 27, 1952 fin], xii,

g 0 9 Bureau Ear:

la. L10

ffjii ff gi iiij 36 2 A Fig .1. F

y 5, 1955 F. LLOYD-KESSEL 2,712,228

WASHING MACHINES Filed March 27, 1952 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 July 5, 1955 F. LLOYD-KESSEL 2,712,228

WASHING MACHINES Filed March 27, 1952 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 July 5, 1955 F. LLOYD-KESSEL 2,712,228

WASHING MACHINES I Filed March 2'7, 1952 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 M 2 2 2 R4 -I 45 iv; 1.6 "'20 18 fl MN I M I 34 a 3-? f9 9\ a o 9 5 3 Fig.9. a l 58 f '3 a [j fiZ 2 I; FigiQ 9 3 9 Invent LL L-Kmd United States Patent Application March 27, 1952, Serial No. 278,911

Claims priority, application Great Britain March 30, 19 51 6 Claims. (Cl. 68-3) This invention relates to washing machines, and more particularly to the casings or cabinets thereof.

In washing machines as hitherto constructed, the easing or cabinet comprises a sheet metal base with a continuous sheet metal shell riveted thereto, within which the parts of the washing machine are enclosed, a top fitting or casting provided with an opening permitting of access to the tub being fixed to the upper end of the said shell.

According to the present invention, the washing machine casing or cabinet comprises a metal base of substantially square or rectangular shape with four uprights rigidly secured to the corners thereof and braced together by means of horizontal bracing members which are also adapted to support the gearbox, motor, washing tub and ancillary equipment comprising the washing machine, the said uprights being provided with longitudinal slots or grooves and the base being preferably provided on at least three sides with slots or grooves in proximity to its edges to receive panels which close the sides of the cabinet or casing. The upper end of the cabinet is provided with a top fitting or casting which is attached to the uprights after the panels have been inserted in position.

By means of this construction, the cabinet or casing of the washing machine can be rapidly and easily assembled by unskilled persons, and servicing is greatly facilitated since access can be obtained by removal of a panel or panels to carry out the necessary adjustments of the washing machine.

The invention is illustrated by way of example in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a washing machine provided with a casing or cabinet according to the invention;

,Figure 2 is a vertical section on the line 2-2 of Figure 1 of the lower part of the washing machine;

Figure 3 is a top plan view of the washing machine with the cover, wash tub andtop fitting removed;

Figure 4 is a detail plan view of one of the uprights;

Figure 5 is an end elevation of a further detail;

Figure 6 is a perspective view of a modified form of casing or cabinet, with the top fitting,cover and certain of the panels removed;

Figure 7 is a detail upright;

Figure 8 is an end elevation of a modified form of the detail shown in Figure 5.

Figure 9 is an outside perspective view of a modified form of the casing or cabinet illustrated in Figures 1 to 3;

Figure 10 is a. perspective view of the casing or cabinet illustrated in Figure 9 with the top fitting and panels removed.

Referring to the drawings, 1 is the base of a washing machine casing or cabinet, the said base comprising a substantially square flanged metal plate to the corners of which are rigidly secured four uprights 2. The base plan view of a modified form of 1 is provided with four casters 3 which areriveted to the underside of the base at the corners. The uprights 7 2,712,228 Patented July 5, 195 5 are provided with longitudinal slots or grooves 4 and the base with slots or grooves 5 in proximity to its edges I to receive panels which close the sides of the cabinet or casing. The upper end of the cabinet or casing is provided with a top fitting or casting 6 with an opening permitting of access to the wash tub, the said opening being closed by a removable cover 7.

In the embodiment illustrated in Figures 1 to 5, the

uprights 2 comprise sheet metal angle-section members, preferably with rounded corners, the edges of the up-' rights being bent sinuously to form the grooves for the panels 8. The uprights 2 are secured to the flange 10" of the base 1 by means of bolts 9, and are braced together by means of horizontal bracing members 11 which are secured, on opposite sides of the base 1, to the sides of the angle-section uprights by welding or by means of bolts 12, or rivets, spacing members 13 being interposed between the sides of the uprights and the bracingmem-v 11 to enable the latter to clear the sinuously bent bers edges of the uprights. The bracing members 11 comprise strips of angle section which, when in position, extendf above and substantially parallel to the edges of the base 1, and are adapted to support the wash tub 14, the electric motor 15, the gearbox 16 and ancillary equipment comprising the washing machine.

The gearbox 16 is secured by means of bolts 17 to a platform comprising two flanged inverted channel-section;

members 18 of sheet metal which extend transversely across the washing machine and are bolted to the .members 11, a flanged rear member 18:: and a diagonal inverted channel-section member 19 which extends from the rear member 18a, to which it is bolted, to the rear transverse member 18, the member 19 being also se-l cured to one of the members 11, e. g. by bolts. The gearbox 16 is provided with an upright flange 20 to I which the motor 15 is bolted.

On its upper side the gearbox 16 is provided with a boss 21 on which the wash tub 14 rests and through which the agitator shaft 23 lower end of a sleeve 22 surrounding the shaft 23 being screwed into the boss 21. Through another boss 24 on the upper side of the drive shaft 25. The shafts 23 and 25 are driven from the motor 15 through a shaft 65 which extends into the to the motor drive shaft 32 by "is secured a bearing bracket upwardly inclined to one another.

gearbox extends the wringer gearbox and is connected means of a coupling 66. On the rearward member 18 26 on which is pivoted at 27 a platform 28 on which is bolted a pump 29 on the shaft of which is fixed a friction pinion 30 in engagement with a friction wheel 31 A-brackets may be interposed between the undersides of the lateral bracing members 11 and the base 1 to assist the members 11 to take the weight of the parts other securing means.

comprising a pair of strut members 34, interposed between each bracing member 11 and the base 1 and provided at their upper ends with horizontal offset portions 35 which are secured to the bracing member, and at their lower ends with horizontal offset portions 36 which I are secured to the base 1, the said members 34 being The base, uprights, lateral bracing members and platform are preferably made of sheet steel or aluminium alloy, and the panels may be made of the same material. In order to economize passes into the gearbox, the

fixed on the shaft 32 of the 1 motor 15. The pump 29 is connected to a pipe 33 which i is connected to the underside of the wash tub 14. i

in the use of metal, the panels I may be made of resin-bonded laminated board or other suitable plastic, which is adapted to withstand blows or corrosion satisfactorily. In Figures 1 to 3, the base 1 comprises a flanged sheet steel pressing and is presided with grooved edge members 37, the grooves 5 of which receive the lower edges of the panels. The edge members 37 comprise sheet metal strips having an upright wall 38 which is secured to the base flange, a portion of angle section having one wall parallel to the wall 38 and the other wall 39 at right angles thereto, which is riveted to the base, and an integral U-section portion extending between the parallel walls to form the groove 5 for the panel. I,

The top fitting 6 is provided with an overhanging rim '49 to engage around the upper edges of the panels, and is attached to the uprights 2 by means of screws 41 after the panels have been inserted in position.

The pinion of the pump 29 is' pressed resiliently against the friction wheel 31 on the motor shaft by means of coil springs 42 which are interposed between the front member 18a and a flange 43 on an angle section part 44 of the pivoted platform 28. The member 18a has an upwardly extending flange 45 to which is bolted a' sub-panel 46 in which is rotatably mounted a spindle 47 on the inner end of which is fixed a cam disc 48 which bears against the flange 43. On the spindle 47 is also fixed an actuating lever 49 which is located in a recess 50 in the subpanel 46, the upper end of said sub-panel being bolted to a flanged strip 51 secured to the two fear uprights 2. By turning the lever 4% the platform 28 can be lowered against the force of the springs 42 to interrupt the drive of the pump 29. The rear panel 8 of the washing machine casing is provided with a suitably shaped opening 52 to permit of access to the lever 49 from the outside.

Owing to the stiffening action of the platform supporting the gear casing, motor and wash tub, it will in most cases only be necessary to provide lateral bracing members 11 on two opposed sides of the casing or cabinet, as shown in Figures 1 to 3, but all four uprights may be connected together by means of such bracing members.

In the embodiment illustrated in Figure 6, the uprights 2 secured to the corners of the base 1 are braced to one another by means of diagonal bracing members, compris ing a channel-section bar 53 which is welded or otherwise secured to the angle section uprights 2 at opposite corners of the base, and two channel-section bars 54, welded or otherwise secured to the other two uprights 2 and to the bar 53, the said bars supporting a platform 55 for the motor, wash tub and gearbox. The platform 55 com prises a sheet steel pressing and is provided with aflange 56. The platform 55 is provided with holes to receive bolts for attaching it to the bars 53, S4 and for the attachment to it of the gearbox, motor and other mechanical and electrical equipment of the washing machine. These holes are not shown since the location thereof will vary according to the arrangement of the parts to be mounted on the platform and the number of points at which the platform is required to be secured to the bars 53, 54. The base 1 is provided with feet 57 for supporting the washing machine on the floor.

A platform similar to the platform 55 may also be provided in the case of the embodiment illustrated in Figures 1 to 3 instead of the built-up platform shown in these figures.

The uprights, instead of being bent sinuously at their edges to form the grooves for the reception of the panels, may be constructed asshown in Figure 7, in which the uprights 58 are provided with channel-section strips 59 welded to their longitudinal edges for the reception of the panels. Similarly, the edge members 37 may be replaced by edge members as shown in Figure 8, each comprising an upright strip 6b which is secured to the base flange, an angle-section strip 61, one wall 62 of which is secured to the base, and between the other wall 63 of which and the strip is welded a channel-section strip 64 for the reception of the panel.

The embodiment shown in Figures 9 and i0 correseems to that strewn rn Figures 1 to 3', the panel 8, however, at the rear of the cabinet or casing being replaced by three panels, namely a plastic panel 67 fixed to the uprights 2 behind the longitudinal grooves, a sheet metal panel 68 with the recess for the pump drive control, also attached to the uprights 2 behind the longitudinal grooves, and a lower panel 69 which is slidable in the said grooves and acts as a door. The panel 69 normally closes the lower part of the casing or cabinet but is slidable past the central panel 68 to permit of access to the lower part of the casing or cabinet.

It is to be understood that the details for carrying out the invention may be modified without departing from the invention as set forth in the appended claims. For instance the bracing members 11 may be of other than angle section and may be Welded or riveted to the uprights 2, and the bars 53, 54, instead of being welded to one another and to the uprights 2, may be connected to one another by means of flanged angle pieces and riveted joints and may be riveted to flanged angle pieces attached to the uprights by rivets or bolts. The lower ends of the walls 38 of the edge members 37 are shown in Figures 1 to 3' bent round the edges of the flange of the base 1 butit is to be understood that this feature is optional, though desirable because it enables the edge membersto be secured more rigidly to the base 1 than would otherwise be the case.

The invention is of course applicable to cabinets or casings of substantially rectangular shape.

Whatever material the panels may be made of, in the event of damage to a panel, it can be readily replaced afterremoval of the top fitting, as will be seen from Figure 6.

I claim:

l. A washing. machine casing or cabinet, comprising in combination, a four-sided metal base, four uprights secured to the corners of said base and having longitudinal panel-receiving grooves in proximity to the edges thereof, horizontal bracing members secured to said uprights and adapted also to support a wash tub, motor, gearbox and ancillary equipment of the washing machine, panels for closing the sides of the casing or cabinet inserted in said grooves and a removable platform secured to said horizontal bracing members and having the wash tub, motor, gearbox and ancillary equipment of the washing machine attached thereto, said platform adapted also to stiffen the casing or cabinet.

2. A washing machine casing or cabinet, comprising in combination, a four-sided metal base, four uprights secured to thE COI I ICIS of said base and having longitudinal panel-receiving grooves in proximity to the edges thereof, horizontal bracing members secured to said uprights and adapted also to support a wash tub, motor, gearbox and ancillary equipment of the washing machine, panels for closing the sides of the casing or cabinet inserted in said grooves, a removable platform secured to said horizontal bracing members and having the wash tub, motor, gearbox and ancillary equipment of the washing machine attached thereto, said platform adapted also to stiffen the casing or cabinet, a removable top fitting attached to the upper ends of the uprights and extending over the upper edges of the panels, said top fitting having an opening therein to permit of access to the tub, and a removable cover for closing said opening in the top fitting.

3. A washing machine casing or cabinet as claimed inclaim 1, in which sheet metal edge members are secured to the base, each of said edge members having two up= right walls with a U-section portion between the'rn' to form a' groove for the reception of one of the panels.

4. A washing machine casing or cabinet as claimed in claim 1, in which sheet metal edge members are secured to the base", each of said edge members having two upright walls integral with a U-section portion between them to form a groove for the reception of one of the panels.

5. A washing machine casing or cabinet as claimed in claim 1, in which pairs of strut members are interposed between the horizontal bracing members and the base to assist the bracing members to take the weight of the parts mounted thereon, said strut members being secured to the base and the bracing members to extend at an upward inclination to one another.

6. A washing machine casing or cabinet, comprising in combination, a four-sided metal base, four uprights secured to the corners of said base and having longitudinal panel-receiving grooves in proximity to the edges thereof, three horizontal bracing members secured to said uprights at substantially the same height intermediate the top and bottom of the casing or cabinet so as to extend substantially parallel to the edges of the base, a removable platform for supporting wash tub, motor, gearbox and ancillary equipment of the washing machine, said platform comprising channel-section members extending transversely across the washing machine and bolted to the horizontal bracing members on the opposite sides of the base and channel-section members extending from said first-mentioned channel-section-members to the third horizontal bracing member and bolted thereto, and panels for closing the sides of the casing or cabinet inserted in said grooves.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

